Monday, September 26, 2011

Kindle Library Books Are Here! How to Check Them Out.

Hey Kindle users, have you been wishing you could check out e-books from the library? Well, now you can, and it's really easy! Amazon.com has put together a brief introduction to checking out library books, which is available here. For more detailed information, see below.

Registering Your Kindle

The Kindle library book checkout process works in cooperation with Amazon.com. The first thing you will need is an Amazon account, so you can register your Kindle. If you have already been downloading books from Amazon.com onto a Kindle, then you are registered. You can skip ahead to the next section. If you just bought a Kindle, or you're thinking about getting one, this webpage shows you how to connect to the internet (using Wi-Fi or 3G, depending on your device) and register directly from your Kindle.

During this process, you will be asked to enter your email address, choose a password, and enter your payment information (credit card or gift card number). Of course, the great thing about checking out library books on a Kindle is that you don't need payment information. If you don't plan to buy books from Amazon, you can skip entering your payment information -- just use your computer to sign up for your Amazon account instead of creating the account from your Kindle device. This method may also be easier for people who would rather use a full-sized keyboard. Go to www.amazon.com on your computer, and click on "Sign In." This will take you to a page that looks like this:

Simply enter your email address and click "I am a new customer." Follow the steps to set up an account. If you plan on purchasing books, enter your payment information. Otherwise, leave that part blank. Then, on your Kindle, hit the "Menu" button, choose "Settings," and then "Register." Now enter the email address and password you entered on the Amazon website.

Checking Out Books to Your Kindle

Now you're ready to check out books. Go to our webpage, at www.mytpl.org, and click "Online Catalogs." From the dropdown menu, choose "Download eBooks and Audiobooks).

This will take you to a page that looks like this:

Most of our eBooks are now available for Kindle. You can search for particular genres, but the fastest way to find Kindle books is to click on the box that says "Now Available: Library Books for Kindle." If you have a particular book you are looking for, simply enter the author or title in in the search box. When you find a book you want to check out, click "Add to Cart." This brings you to a screen like this:

Now click "Proceed to Checkout." Then you will see this page:

Choose Terrebonne Parish Library, then enter your library card number and your PIN. Your PIN is a 6 digit version of your birthday. For example, if you were born on June 15, 1970, your PIN would be 061570. If you have any trouble signing in, give us a call at 985-876-5861, option 2, and we can help. The next page you see looks like this:

On this page, you can choose your checkout period; either 7 or 14 days. Then click "Confirm Checkout." Now you come to this page:

Click "Get for Kindle." This will open a new web page on Amazon.com. Enter your Amazon login information, and you will be come to a page with a box similar to this:

When you click "Get Library Book," the book will be transmitted to your Kindle via Wi-Fi.

Please note that Kindle library books can't be transmitted through 3G, so if you have a newer Kindle with both Wi-Fi and 3G, make sure it's connected to a wireless network. If you don't have access to a wireless network, or if you have an older Kindle that only has 3G, you can download the book to your computer, and then transfer it to your Kindle with its USB cable. This link has instructions for USB transfers.

This process may seem a little complicated at first, but it gets very easy once you've done it a couple of times. If you're a Kindle user with a library card, you now have nearly 2,000 Kindle library books to choose from.

We also take requests! If there are books you'd like to see us add to the library's e-book collection, please let us know. You can submit a purchase request at mytpl.org/catalogs/purchase-request. Under "Format" one of your many options is e-book. Or give us a call at 876-5861, option 2, and tell us what you'd like to read!